Kash Patel could be the next Trump administration official to be fired. The Atlantic cited sources familiar with White House plans to report on Thursday that discussions about the FBI Director, Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s future were being held within President Donald Trump’s close circle. However, no concrete decision has been made yet. This comes after the president ousted Kristi Noem as DHS chief and fired Pam Bondi as Attorney General.
The timing, in terms of Kash Patel’s possible firing, is uncertain and President Trump has not yet made up his mind, the Atlantic added.
Kash Patel’s girlfriend shares a message
Meanwhile, Patel’s long-time girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, shared a message on social media as rumors about his possible firing broke out. The country music singer and former Capitol Hill press secretary posted about the Supreme Court’s birthright citizenship hearing on April 1.
“Being an American is more than just a geographical thing. It is an idea, a passion, a belonging. If you apply legally for that belonging, welcome! But birth tourism incentivizes crime and other major safety and security issues for the US. America, for Americans,” she wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
Kash Patel facing pressure
The FBI Director is battling controversy on multiple fronts. An Iranian-linked hacker group claimed last week that it hacked Patel’s email account, and published personal photos and other material online.
The FBI said that ‘malicious actors’ had targeted Patel’s personal email information and said it has ‘taken all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks associated with this activity’.
“The information in question is historical in nature and involves no government information,” the agency said in a statement.
The State Department, meanwhile, offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of members of the pro-Iranian hacktivist group the Handala Hack Team.
On the other hand, three former FBI agents have filed a class action lawsuit against Kash Patel, alleging they were wrongfully terminated and seeking reinstatement. The lawsuit claims the dismissals were tied to their roles in investigations connected to Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election, describing the firings as part of a broader ‘retribution campaign’.
At the same time, Patel has come under internal scrutiny from Trump over how the administration has handled the Jeffrey Epstein files, adding to tensions within the leadership.
